Trace connection.



W. E. LUCAS.

TRACE CONNECTION.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25. 1911.

1,1 59,850, Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

INVENTOR WITNESSES WILLIAM E. LUCAS, OF'LYONsVILLE, CALIFORNIA.

TRACE CONNECTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 25, 1911. Serial No. 662,486.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM E. Lucas, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and resident of Lyonsville, in the county of Tehama and Stateof California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTrace Connections, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to trace connections and particularly to a safetydevice associated therewith, whereby the trace is connected to a link orother member of a swingle tree so that the accidental dislodgment of theinterlocking or engaging parts may be obviated.

An object of this invention is to produce a device having a strong anddurable connection with the trace, the same comprising plates forguarding the end of the hook when the hook is in certain positions ofadjustment, means being also provided for unguarding the end of the hookwhen the hook has assumed another position of adjustment.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists inthe details of construction and in the arrangement and combination ofparts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings forming part of this specification wherein likecharacters denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in whichFigure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a fragment of a trace, thetrace connection and a fragment of a link adapted to be connected to aswingle tree; Fig. 2 illustrates an edge view of the parts shown in Fig.1 with the link omitted; and Fig. 3 illustrates a sectional view on theline 33 of Fig. 2.

In these drawings 4: denotes the fragment of a trace which may be ofleather or any other material suitable for the purpose, the saidfragment of the trace having two parallel plates 5 and 6 secured to itsopposite sideand projecting over beyond the end thereof in order to forman intervening space 7 for the reception of the shank 8 and end 9 of thehook 10, the said shank being pivotally mounted between the two plates 5and 6 by the pivot 11 extending through the said plates. The hook 10 isshown in Fig. 1 as being engaged by a, link 12. which may be connectedto a swingle tree, or to any other member to which the trace is to behitched.

The edges of the plates 5 and 6 are pro vided with notches 5 and 6respectively, the said notches being in transverse alinement and-of awidth equal to or-approximately equal to the distance between the end 9of the hook and the shank 8 thereof, the Iglatlon of the parts beingwell shown in By carefully considering Fig. l of the drawings it will beseen that the notches 5 are disposed at an angle, and the inclined wallsof the notches form camming surfaces to cause the links 12 to ride intoposition within the hook 10 when tension is brought to bear thereon.

In operation, when it is desired to apply a link or other connectionsuch as 12 to the hook, the link is inserted in the notches 5 and (iwhile the hook is in the position shown in Fig. 1 and thereafter thehook is moved to the position shown in Fig. 3, so that the link 12 maybe moved longitudinally of the hook to the loop thereof after which thehook may be moved to the position shown in Fig. 1, in which position,the link 12 is prevented from dislodging from the hook. The only methodby which the link can be disengaged from the hook is to reverse theoperation just described and to move the hook from the position shown inFig. 1 back to the position shown in Fig. 3 and replacing the link 12 inthe notches in order that the end 9 of the hook may be moved across thenotches and over the link 12 in order to free the said link. Byconstructing the said plates 5 and 6 of metal and by joining them to atrace by rivets 13, a

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

durable joint is effected between the said plates and the trace.

The construction of the pivot 11 is immaterial but it is shown in Fig. 2as having a head 14 on one end and a washer 15 on the other end, thesaid pivot being offset on its end to confine the washer.

I claim- A trace connection comprising space plates, a hook memberhaving one of its ends pivotally supported between the plates, the freeend of the hook operating between the plates, a ring operating over thefree end of the hook, each of the plates having a notch providingparallel walls arranged at an acute angle with relation to the upperedge of the plates, one of the walls of the respective notches beinglonger than the other wall thereof, the bottom walls of the notchesbeing inclined toward the'shorter wall of the respective notches toguide the ring which is positioned in the notches toward the shorterwall thereof, when pull is exerted on the ring, the forward end ofthehook adapted to form a continuation of the shorter i walls of thenotches to receive the ring from the shorter inclined walls. Intestimony whereof, I aflix my signature in. the presence of twowitnesses.

I l/VILLIAM E. LUCAS. Witnesses:

W. P. JOHNSON, J. P. L'oces.

Uopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

